Tear the Stars from the Sky
by NEIWIS
Summary: Artemis is still grieving over the loss of Zoë Nightshade and trying to fill the void in her heart. Thalia is just trying to be the best lieutenant that she can be, but when a figure from the past tries to destroy something precious to Artemis, they both learn that Orion's hate for Artemis knows no bounds. To hurt her, Orion would move the mountains or tear the stars from the sky.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story that has been running through my head for the last month. It takes place after the Blood of Olympus but before the Trials of Apollo. It will be about five or six chapters. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Time is a convoluted thing for immortals. Years disappear in the blink of an eye. Decades pass in the draw of a breath. With all the time in the world, it was hard to form a relationship with someone who had none. There was always an exception though. There was always someone who found a way to extend their life or even make the great reach towards immortality.

One way to reach immortality was to join the Hunters of Artemis. The Hunters dedicated their life to Artemis and towards the hunt, whether it meant tracking down rare creatures or protecting demigods from monsters that lurked in the shadows. The only way to lose immortality was to fall, whether that be in love or in battle was up to the Fates.

Some Hunters of Artemis lived for centuries, and centuries were when an immortal really began to notice those around them. They took note of who stood by their side through all of that time. Artemis remembered all of her Hunters, but the ones who had been there for those hundreds of years were the ones she had grown closest to.

After centuries came millennia, and if someone was by your side for millennia, it seemed like they would be at your side forever, as if they too were a god. Millennia together created memories that felt like they could never be taken away. There was only a few Huntresses who had been at Artemis' side for a millennia. That number was lowered when one fell in battle.

Artemis wished she could take a dip in the River Lethe and wash away the memory of the last millennia, but a baptism in those waters would not erase the gnawing in her heart. The waters would not take away the fact that she missed Zoë Nightshade with all of her heart and soul.

They said that mortals were born with a soulmate, but Artemis believed that there was a soulmate for immortals as well, and Zoë had been her soulmate. They were not lovers. No, they were much closer than that. Their relationship was so close that the death of Zoë destroyed something in Artemis' soul.

It felt like Zoë had been there since the beginning. Artemis could not remember a time when her lieutenant was not at her side. Now, she could barely recall what her lieutenant looked like. The millennia together formed a bond so deep that its removal was tearing Artemis apart.

A new lieutenant had taken Zoë's place, but Thalia Grace was not Zoë Nightshade. No one would ever be able to replace Zoë. Artemis had added new stars to the sky to commemorate her greatest lieutenant and ally. Artemis looked at the constellation at least every night, until her personality was split between the Greek and Roman camps. She had been so busy since then that there was no time to look.

Artemis glanced up at the sky. As the sun had yet to fall, there was no stars in the sky. She would have to wait for a few hours, but it would be worth the wait. For now, she would need to focus on her other Hunters of Artemis. Thalia had just left to patrol the area with some of their newest members. The rest would be making dinner.

All of a sudden, Artemis felt an odd pressure in her head. It wasn't painful, and she knew what it was. It was something she had experienced a few times before. Artemis closed her eyes and tried to relax. While it was true that immortals did not dream, there was times when their mind just drifted, and they were able to see things that they shouldn't.

It happened to Apollo the most, and he claimed it had something to do with his powers of divination. As his twin, Artemis had her fair share of experiences with it. Hers were more rare, but it had also saved her Hunters from a few ambushes.

Artemis opened her eyes and found herself in a place of darkness. The world around her was cold and suffocating. She closed her eyes and felt a pressure, like panic, in her chest. Artemis let out a deep breath and opened her eyes. She knew this place well, but she always made a point to avoid the area: the Underworld.

This was not within the walls of Hades' palace though. She was standing along the edge of a riverbank. To her right, she could hear the sounds of a struggle. Artemis slowly turned her head and watched three figure in the distance. She slowly walked towards them, having no fear of being spotted.

Artemis studied three figures in the distance. One of them was ten feet tall, and his mechanical eyes were looking around at everything. Artemis stared at Orion. This was not happening now. She had watched over the praetor of Camp Jupiter as she strangled the giant and sent him back to Tartarus. Why was she seeing something from the past? Was it a prank by her brother or a warning?

The second person was only six feet tall and wore a full set of Greek armor, but it was older than the modern armor that the demigods at Camp Half-Blood wore. They were well built and wore a helmet that covered their face. Artemis' attention was drawn to the person that was being dragged between them.

Her heart almost jumped to her throat. The person had a hood thrown over their head, but that hood belonged to a bloodied and torn silver ski jacket. Their blue jeans were covered in dirt. The only thing the person was missing was a silver aura, but that was a Hunter of Artemis

Orion and the armored figure dragged the Hunter of Artemis between them. The Hunter was limp in their arms, and every breath was labored. Artemis tried to think of any Hunters of Artemis that went missing before their fight with Orion, but there had been so many lost in that amount of time. Gaea had sent monsters to hunt them relentlessly.

They didn't have a silver aura though, as if they had already fallen in battle. Unless, they had left the Hunters of Artemis. Why would they be down in the Underworld though? Artemis slowly looked at the river that she stood near, and her gut twisted.

Orion grabbed the Hunter and threw them towards the river. They collapsed on the shore and slowly rolled onto their back. Artemis tried to move closer, but she felt an invisible force stop her. Artemis wanted to do nothing more than burst in and help, but she knew that it would not work. This had already happened, and she could not change the past.

"Rebirth," Orion whispered. He knelt by the waters. The Hunter slowly reached out towards the weapon at Orion's side. The figure in Greek armor stomped on their hand. Artemis heard the sound of a bone break, and she watched the boot slowly dig into the hand of the Hunter. "This is where they go to bathe away their old life and start anew."

"Everyone who wants a new start will drink from the waters," the armored figure said. Their voice was male, and it was familiar. Artemis just couldn't identify it though. "We do not want you to be reborn though. You will be returned."

"No," the Hunter of Artemis whispered. The voice was so full of pain that Artemis could not identify it. That fact broke Artemis' heart. They had tortured one of her Hunters, and while Orion was rotting in Tartarus, this armored figure had to be roaming free. She would find out who it was, and they would pay.

Artemis felt a chill run down her spine. She tensed and watched an eleven foot woman walk towards the river. The woman was usually much taller, but it was clear that she wanted to send a message to Orion. There was no need for her to send a warning, as her mere presence had caused both Orion and the armored figure to freeze in place.

Darkness wrapped around the goddess, and it was followed by ash and smoke. Wings stuck out from her back, but she did not use them. Instead, she walked towards them, but her feet did not touch the ground. The figure in armor finally fell to their knees, and Orion bowed.

"Nyx," Artemis whispered. For the smallest moment, Nyx looked at her and smiled, as if she knew that Artemis would be seeing this. Then, she walked towards the Hunter of Artemis. Why had they summoned this darkness?

Artemis blinked, and the world fell into darkness. There was no light around her, and she could barely see Orion's mechanical eyes. A small light suddenly shown in the darkness. The light was the size of a quarter, but it shone bright enough to illuminate Nyx.

Nyx held the light out towards the Hunter of Artemis. She placed the light into the Hunter's chest, and it disappeared. The silver aura slowly came back to the Hunter of Artemis. Nyx spoke, "I do not normally bring the light back, Orion. I hope you know what you are doing."

"I am ensuring our revenge," Orion replied. The darkness start to leave and seep back into Nyx. Artemis blinked a few times and watched Orion grab the Hunter of Artemis by their jacket."I will destroy Artemis mentally, before I destroy her physically."

"If you fail?" Nyx asked. Orion glared at her, and she laughed. "You allow yourself to be blinded by your need for vengeance. To get to Artemis, you must first go through her Hunters. Can you actually do that?"

"Of course I can," Orion snapped. He picked the Hunter up by the back of their neck. A soft cry, a feminine one, escaped the Hunter. They weren't one of the few males that had been accepted. It didn't narrow the choices down much, but it was a start.

"My lady," the Hunter whispered. Her voice was so familiar, and a tug pulled at Artemis' heart. "I am sorry."

Orion threw the Hunter towards the edge of the River Lethe. The Hunter fell to their hands and knees. The armored figure slammed their foot into the Hunter's gut, and all Artemis could do was watch as the Hunter fall into the river. Orion took a few steps backwards and laughed.

"Find the statue and finish it. I will assure this goes to plan," the armored figure said. Artemis heard the Greek accent, and she realized they were talking in Ancient Greek. Orion nodded and stepped away.

Artemis saw a hand appear out of the water, and the armored figure grabbed it. The armored figure pulled the Hunter of Artemis back onto the shore. Their hood was still on, so Artemis couldn't tell who they were. Nyx looked back at Artemis and spoke, "Little goddess, how long has it been since you truly looked at the sky?"

Artemis' eyes snapped open, and she gasped. Her gaze moved around the camp. Nothing was wrong, but what she had seen disturbed her greatly. One of her Hunters had been tortured and thrown into the River Lethe. Why?

"My lady," Thalia Grace said. Artemis slowly looked at her lieutenant. Thalia was kneeling by the fire, but she slowly stood. A glance around showed that most of her Hunters were sleeping in their tents. "You haven't moved for the past few hours. Is something wrong?"

"No,"Artemis answered. She stood and left the campfire behind. Thalia Grace was a great lieutenant, even if her reasons for joining were not the best. Escaping the great prophecy was one of the reasons that she joined the hunt, but she had done everything she could to be the best lieutenant that she could be. Thalia was not Zoë though.

Artemis looked back towards the camp that her Hunters were sleeping in. There was days when she expected to walk back into the camp and find Zoë there. Zoë would be sitting at the fire and already have the Hunters ready to go. Artemis knew it would never happen though. Her beloved Zoë was gone, and she would never come back.

The goddess shook her head and tried to bring her focus back to the present. Her Hunters were going to visit Camp Jupiter, and Artemis was going to check on some of the monsters that her and her fellow immortals had locked away. After the war with Kronos and Gaea, she had to make sure that nothing was stirring, and it would be easiest to do it by herself.

Artemis slowly looked up at the sky and stared at the stars. There was not a cloud in sight, and everything seemed peaceful. Artemis' eyes moved to look for Zoë's constellation. After a minute of searching, a frown came to Artemis' face, and a cold feeling settled in her heart. Zoë's constellation was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

As Thalia walked through the Caldecott Tunnel, she couldn't help but feel something twist in her gut. She didn't know if it was apprehension, anger, or maybe a little fear. For the first time, she was about to step foot inside the camp that her brother had called home for almost his entire life. It felt like the place that had taken Jason away from her, even if that wasn't entirely true.

Two Hunters, Iphigenia and Nancy, flanked her. The rest of the Hunters of Artemis were waiting at their camp not too far away. Thalia didn't want to walk up to the entrance of Camp Jupiter with an army following her. The Romans were expecting her, but she also knew how jumpy they could be.

"Hail," Thalia called, as she made it closer to the two Romans that stood guard. They both wore a full set of Roman armor and were staring ahead. Both had swords at their sides and javelins in their hands. "I am Thalia Grace from the Hunters of Artemis. The praetors are expecting us."

"One moment," the taller of the two Romans said. He bowed his head towards them and turned towards the direction of Camp Jupiter. Then, he took off running. Thalia watched him go and closed her eyes. Her mind went back to the night before.

Artemis had zoned out for hours, and when she seemed to come back to her senses, she acted weirdly the rest of the night. She kept staring up at the sky and muttering something about the stars. Whenever Thalia looked up, she couldn't tell what the goddess was talking about.

It wasn't the first time that Artemis had left Thalia out of the loop or just completely ignored her. It almost seemed like Artemis couldn't trust Thalia, and for the life of her, Thalia didn't know why. There was times when Artemis would just look at her and mutter under her breath. What did it all mean?

Thalia glanced back at Iphigenia, who was the most senior Hunter of Artemis in the group. Iphigenia even tried to talk to Artemis to no avail. It was like the goddess wanted to be alone in her misery, but Thalia didn't even know what that misery was. All she wanted to do was help her lady.

Thalia's gaze move to Nancy. The girl was fifteen when she joined, just like Thalia. The big difference between the two was that Nancy was a mortal that could see through the Mist. It was her focus on the stars that drew Artemis' attention, and when a monster decided to attack Nancy, Artemis intervened and offered her a chance to join.

"A camp for Roman demigods," Nancy whispered. She glanced at the remaining guard and then looked at Iphigenia. "Have you ever visited this camp?"

"No," Iphigenia answered. She looked at the Roman guard. "I have a complicated relationship with the Roman bloodline."

Nancy nodded but didn't pry. Thalia glanced at Iphigenia. A complicated relationship with the Roman bloodline was one way to put it, considering Iphigenia's father had set the effects that formed Rome in motion. If Thalia understood the story correctly, Aeneas fled Troy after it fell during the Trojan War. He eventually settled down, and generations later, his descendants Romulus and Remus would found the city of Rome.

Iphigenia didn't speak much of that time though. She did not speak of her father either. Thalia learned her story from the other Hunters of Artemis. The story went that when the Greeks were getting ready to sail their fleet to Troy, Agamemnon killed a deer in a sacred grove that belonged to Artemis. The goddess spoke to the wind gods, and they stopped all wind, which meant the fleet could not set sail.

To make up for his crime, Agamemnon was told to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in the name of Artemis. It didn't take long for Agamemnon to call his daughter to the port of Aulis for the sacrifice. Before it could be completed, Artemis used the Mist to make it seem like Iphigenia was still there. In reality, she replaced Iphigenia with a deer and took the young maiden away and offered her a chance to join the Hunters of Artemis.

Apparently, Agamemnon had been an abusive father, and Iphigenia wanted to be out of his clutches. Terrible fathers were something that Thalia and Iphigenia had in common. The sound of metal caught Thalia's attention, and she came back to focus.

"Lieutenant," Reyna greeted. She bowed her head towards Thalia and smiled. Thalia smiled back at the praetor. The two agreed that it would be best for Reyna to meet the Hunters of Artemis first and give them a tour. Along with being the senior praetor, Reyna was a female. While Thalia was sure that the Hunters would treat Frank with the respect he deserved, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Praetor," Thalia greeted. She examined Reyna. It was no secret that Artemis wanted to recruit Reyna, and Thalia couldn't blame her. If Thalia wanted to find the template for a perfect Roman, it would be Reyna: stoic, skilled, and loyal. "The rest of the Hunters are waiting back at the camp."

"We can wait while you get them," Reyna said. Thalia nodded and glanced back at Iphigenia. After a few moments, Iphigenia tore her gaze from Reyna and nodded. She turned and hurried away. "How have things been, lieutenant?"

"Things have been fine, Reyna. What about you?" Thalia asked, and she gave Reyna a look. Reyna smiled slightly. When Thalia had the rare chance to visit Camp Jupiter on her own, she always spent a cup of coffee or two to catch up with Reyna. The two had plenty in common, and Thalia had formed a friendship with the praetor.

"It has been going well," Reyna replied. She kept her arms behind her back and stared ahead. Her two greyhounds were at her side, and both were staring up at Thalia. Part of Thalia wanted to pet the two greyhounds, and she would have done so if they were alone.

The next few minutes passed in silence, until they heard the sounds of boots. Thalia looked back and watched the Hunters of Artemis walk towards them. She did a quick headcount to make sure that everyone was there. Then, she turned towards Reyna and spoke, "I believe we are ready for that tour, praetor."

"First, let me say that it is a honor to be graced by your presence," Reyna began. She seemed to study each of the Hunters of Artemis for a half moment.. Then, she turned and started to walk. As they walked, Thalia tried focus on the tour, but her mind kept going back to Artemis.

Thalia knew she wasn't suppose to interfere in the business of immortals, but this felt like personal business for Artemis. If it was personal business, that meant it was connected to Zoë. It also meant that Thalia wouldn't be able to approach Artemis about the situation.

Artemis would never admit it to another person, but she was grieving. Thalia didn't know if Artemis was too prideful to admit it or just didn't realize she was grieving, but all of the signs were there. Thalia wanted to be there for Artemis, but the goddess wouldn't let her. It was just frustrating.

Thalia was so focused on her plight that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. One second she was walking, and the next she was being knocked off of her feet and picked up off of the ground. Thalia almost punched her attacker, until she realized that her attacker was pulling her into a tight hug and was actually Jason.

"Thalia! I came as soon as I heard," Jason said. Thalia smiled at her brother and glanced around. Most of her Hunters had reached for their weapons, but upon realizing Jason wasn't a threat, they relaxed their grip. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great," Thalia said. She hugged Jason back and then ruffled his hair. "After we get settled, the first thing I was going to do was find you."

"I found you first," Jason teased. He looked at Reyna. Thalia did as well. There was a small smile still on Reyna's face, but it seemed forced. She almost seemed miffed by Jason's presence. "Reyna, I can join the tour, right?"

It was almost nice to see that Thalia wasn't the only one who was holding onto anger over things they couldn't control. It had to be some kind of middle finger from the universe, or maybe just from Aphrodite, for the person that you had feelings for to disappear and return months later with a girlfriend. Reyna had told Thalia about it before, and while she tried to sound casual about it, there was no missing the bitterness in her voice.

"Of course you can join the tour, Pontifex Maximus," Reyna answered. She turned around sharply and continued the tour. Jason smiled and followed behind. It was like he thought that Reyna only called him by his title so the Hunters of Artemis knew who he was. Jason didn't realize that Reyna called him by his title because it still hurt to say his name.

As they continued the tour, Jason would add in his own thoughts, and Thalia could see it was slowly eating away at Reyna's patience. To Reyna's credit, she just kept a stoic look on her face, and her eyes didn't seem to betray what she was thinking. There was the small moments that Reyna would look back ahead, and her mask would slip for a moment.

Of course, the Hunters of Artemis could all sense Reyna's displeasure. Some of them had looks like that before, and most of them tried using it as a recruiting tactic. Thalia wasn't exactly comfortable throwing someone's failed relationship with men back in their face. Gods knew that wasn't the best with relationships.

Thalia sighed and looked away. She could see one of the cohorts running drills. None of them stopped to look at the Hunters, but there would be plenty of time to stare at dinner. Thalia studied the females of the cohort. Artemis told her to keep an eye out for anyone who would make a good recruit.

The first meeting wouldn't be to recruit anyone, since Lupa made a rare visit and threatened to do terrible things to Artemis if she tried to poach any of the Romans. Artemis promised not to, on the first visit. Lupa's only response to that had been to growl and sulk away, which may have been approval.

As they walked, someone darted towards them and stopped in front of Reyna. An annoyed looked passed over Reyna's face. She looked back at the Hunters and spoke, "Apologizes. One moment."

Reyna stepped away with the Roman, who wore light armor and had a few pouches on their belt. They wore a bag that was slung over their back. It looked too small to hold anything important. Reyna shook her head and said something in Latin. Thalia didn't need a translation to know that it was a curse.

Reyna walked back towards the Hunters of Artemis and spoke, "I am sorry, but a matter has come to my attention that must be dealt with immediately. Pontifex Maximus, can you finish the tour?"

"I can, Reyna. I'll show them around New Rome and then the barracks where they will be staying," Jason said. Reyna nodded once.

"If any of the Romans give you any trouble, please let me or my fellow praetor Frank know. We will handle them," Reyna promised. She bowed her head towards them and turned away. Reyna walked away, flanked by her two dogs. The messenger slowly followed.

"Jason, is there an emergency?" Thalia asked quietly. Jason frowned and studied Reyna for a few moments. He finally shook his head. "What was so important then? I know Reyna would want to be here to make sure everything went perfect."

"I don't know," Jason admitted. He glanced back at the Hunters of Artemis. "That messenger only works with the crew that is responsible for patrolling some of the old ruins and hidden entrances. They probably found evidence of someone passing through those areas. It's nothing to worry about though, probably just someone sneaking out late at night to get junk food."

"Reyna will check it out herself, probably search the camp with her dogs, and be back in time for dinner and the War Games," Jason continued. Thalia nodded, not fully convinced. "The Fifth Cohort won the right to fight alongside you guys, and I know they are excited for it. They won't let you down."

"I'm sure they won't. Now, let's see how good you are at being a tour guide," Thalia said. Jason smiled and started to show them around once again. Thalia followed him and tried to relax. She was sure that nothing would be found in the search, but she couldn't get rid of this feeling that someone was watching her.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a certain beauty to Camp Jupiter at night. Part of the beauty was the fact that everything was so quiet. There was no one walking around in loud, bulky armor. There was no sing alongs at a campfire that caused smoke to rise to the sky and block out the stars. Thalia probably could have spent the entire night walking around and enjoying the beauty. Instead, she needed to get back to the barracks.

The third cohort was kind enough to volunteer their quarters for the Hunters of Artemis to stay in, but rumors stated that they had lost their previous War Games the week before and apparently also lost the right to stay in their barracks. It was a decent place, not as nice as their tents but better than sleeping on the floor. Thalia wouldn't complain about it, since the Romans were so accommodating.

Thalia was on her way back from hanging out with Jason. They were celebrating the victory of the Fifth Cohort and the Hunters of Artemis in the War Games. Thalia didn't doubt that the Hunters would win, but part of her was curious. Both of the praetors simply watched the War Games and acted as judges. What would have happened if they participated?

One of the reasons that the Hunters of Artemis were so successful against Camp Half-Blood in capture the flag was because Camp Half-Blood was a group of individuals trying to work as a team. They spent at least once a week fighting against each other. Each cabin had their own leader, but Camp Half-Blood did not have a single leader.

Even against Kronos, Camp Half-Blood was divided, and some of them sat out the beginning of the war. Other than Chiron, there was never one person who they all listened to. There was no clear hierarchy. Camp Jupiter and the Hunters of Artemis were different.

Camp Jupiter had their two praetors, and from what Thalia heard, Reyna and Frank worked together well. Underneath them was the centurions, and the senior centurion of the cohort would be the one listened to in battle. For the Greeks, it was whoever had the loudest voice and the largest amount of skill.

The Hunters of Artemis had an even clearly hierarchy. There was Artemis, then Thalia, and then the three lieutenants below Thalia. Those three were never in charge, unless the Hunters were splitting into group or Thalia was out of commission. It also helped that the Hunters of Artemis were immortals who had all off the time in the world to bond together.

That brought Thalia back to her original train of thought. With the two praetors sitting out, the Romans fought as cohorts instead of a unit. Until both camps figured out that they needed to hand leadership off to one or two people, the Hunters of Artemis would continue to rack up victories.

As Thalia walked, everything suddenly came into focus. She stopped and slowly looked around. There was no other footsteps on the dirt, but she felt someone's eyes on her. On her right, she heard the sound of a bow being drawn. Thalia turned and saw an arrow flying at her face.

Thalia dodged the arrow and grabbed her own bow. She fired an arrow towards the shadows and tried to calm her breathing. She listened to the sounds around her. There was a faint sound of celebration in the distance. The only other noise was her heart beating in her ears.

A footstep sounded behind Thalia, and she turned around. A foot slammed right into her chest, knocking her off balance and causing her to stumble backwards. A sword appeared in front of her face, and Thalia barely dodged. She scrambled backwards and studied her attacker.

The figure wore a parka hoodie and black pants, just like a Hunter of Artemis. They held a bow and had a silvery glow. That was also something that Hunters of Artemis had, and they were the only ones. Thalia spoke, "Who are you?"

Instead of responding, her attacker flipped out a sword and attacked. Thalia rushed forward to meet her opponent. As they fought, it became clear that their fighting style was similar, too similar. The person attacking her was a Hunter of Artemis, but there was something else in their fighting style that was different.

Thalia dodged another attack and struck forward. Her attacker dodged, and for the next minute, the two participated in a beautiful dance of attacks and dodges. It was like Thalia's attacker knew what she would do, just like any Hunter of Artemis would. This was just like a sparring sessions with the Hunters, but the stakes were much higher.

As it became clear that their battle would continue to be a stalemate, Thalia decided it was time to call upon her parentage. She started to raise a hand towards the sky and heard the clap of thunder. Her attacker took one step backwards, and a bow appeared in their hands. They fired, and Thalia dodged the attack. Before she could properly find her footing, an arrow tore through her side.

Thalia cried out in pain and suddenly felt the bow slam into her throat. She collapsed to the ground and started to cough. As a sword flew towards her face, something metal flew across Thalia's vision. She watched a hound clamp down onto her attacker's arm, and the attacker cried out in pain.

Their voice sounded feminine, and Thalia had heard that cry before. Thalia tried to catch her breath and sit up at the same time. The golden hound had a death grip on the Hunter's arm, and it was causing blood to cascade from her arm. She grabbed the knife at her side and stabbed it into the jaw of the hound. The Hunter ripped the knife down, forcing the dog's jaw open.

The Hunter kicked Aurum to the side. Then, she turned and ran. Thalia tried to stand, but pain flared in her side. She placed her hand to side. The arrow had not penetrated her side. It had just cut into it rather deeply. Thalia heard the sound of running, and after a moment, a silver hound appeared at her side. His owner appeared a moment later.

"Argentum, hunt," Reyna ordered. She knelt by Thalia. Argentum sniffed the knife that was stuck in Aurum's jaw. Then, he turned and ran down the street. Reyna looked at Thalia. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. How bad is it?"

"Just a scratch," Thalia replied. Reyna gently lifted Thalia's hand and examined the wound. "I'm fine. Seriously."

"I still want you to get checked out by a doctor. I'll help you there. Then, I'm locking this camp down. We will find your attacker," Reyna promised. There was a fury in her eyes. For a moment, Thalia thought it was directed at her, but she realized that Reyna blamed herself for the attack.

Someone managed to sneak into Camp Jupiter, right under the noses of all of the Romans. It wasn't the fault of the Romans though. Thalia's attacker was a Hunter of Artemis, so it would make sense that no one was suspicious of them. Reyna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial.

"May I?" Reyna asked. Thalia nodded and slowly lifted her shirt. Reyna gently poured the vial on Thalia's wound, and Thalia winced. She felt the wound slowly starting to close. "I still want you to go to the infirmary. I'll take you."

Thalia knew there was no arguing her way out of her situation. The praetor blamed herself for the attack, and she would now guard Thalia with her life to make up for it. After a moment, Thalia nodded, and she was helped to her feet. Reyna began to escort her, keeping one hand on her sword.

"It was a Hunter of Artemis," Thalia began. Reyna glanced at her, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Can the infirmary wait? I want to stop by the barracks. I can narrow down who it is."

Reyna seemed to debate with herself, but she finally nodded. The walk to the barracks was in silence. Reyna looked like she was fuming over the attack, and Thalia was focused on her attacker. They were a Hunter of Artemis. How could one of her own sisters attack her? It wasn't like some random person had dressed up as a Hunter. They have the silver aura.

Which Hunter of Artemis had gone rogue? Thalia couldn't think of anyone who want too upset at her. Sure, some of them were upset that Artemis chose Thalia to be the lieutenant as soon as she joined, but they never said it out loud. Who would do this?

Artemis would have to know immediately. She would be able to tell Thalia which Hunter had done this. The silence was broken by the sounds of running. Reyna turned, and her sword was halfway out of its sheathe. Thalia turned and saw Jason.

"What happened?" Jason asked. He stared at the blood on Thalia's hand and the closed cut on her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Thalia promised. Jason nodded but still looked concerned. Reyna glanced back the way they had came. "We were just going to visit the barracks."

"Jason, can you take Thalia to the barracks to check on the Hunters of Artemis there? Then, take her to the infirmary. I will head back to where Aurum was and follow the blood trail. With luck, Argentum would have found the attacker," Reyna said. Jason nodded, but there was a small frown on his face.

"Why didn't you follow the attacker in the first place?" Jason asked. Reyna had turned away, but she stiffened. She slowly looked back at Jason. "You could have stopped them or at least followed the trail while it was still fresh."

"My first priority was making sure that Thalia was safe. Argentum is hunting down the attacker," Reyna said. Jason narrowed his eyes and gave her a look. Reyna returned the look, and they seemed to be having a silent argument. Thalia watched the two uncomfortably.

"You should have found the attacker first, to make sure that they were apprehended," Jason said.

"What if they had looped back towards Thalia?" Reyna snapped. "Do not question me, Jason."

Jason glared and took a step forward. Thalia stepped in between the two and spoke, "We are wasting time by arguing. Jason, help me get to the barracks. Reyna, try to find the trail."

Reyna turned and walked off without another word. Jason shook his head, but when he looked at Thalia, the anger was gone. Jason spoke, "How hurt are you?"

"I'm fine. Reyna handled it," Thalia said. Jason nodded and started to walk towards the barracks. Thalia walked by his side. "A Hunter of Artemis attacked me. Their arm was hurt badly. When we get to the barracks, we are going to do a headcount."

"Whoever did this will regret it," Jason promised. Thalia smiled. Ever since they were reunited, Jason was the one being protective. He tried to talk to Thalia every few days and sent her letters to stay in touch. Thalia was more than happy to return the gesture. She never thought she would get her family back, and she was going to do everything she could to hold onto it.

Jason stopped outside of the barracks and placed a hand to his sword. He stepped inside, and Thalia did as well. It seemed like all of the Hunters of Artemis were in the barracks, rearranging the beds. Some of them glanced up at Thalia, and others focused on Jason. A few seemed to see the blood on Thalia's hand, and they tensed.

Thalia did a headcount of everyone in the room, and a frown came to her face. They were all there. Thalia spoke, "Has anyone just walked back into the barracks?"

"No," Nancy answered. Thalia frowned. She couldn't just order the Hunters to hold out their arms. She frowned and examined all of the women in front of her. These women were her friends and family. They would not attack her, so it had to be a rogue Hunter. Thalia wracked her brain trying to think of someone, but she couldn't.

They took their fair share of losses during Orion's attack, but none of the fallen would try to attack Thalia. Jason was watching her closely. Thalia spoke, "I was just attacked, by a Hunter of Artemis. I think it is a rogue, but I do not know."

"We must tell Lady Artemis," Iphigenia answered. She stood and studied Jason, as if wondering what a boy was doing there. Thalia nodded her agreement.

"I do not know if this person was trying to kill me or if they will attack anyone else. If anyone has to leave the barracks, I want them to find a partner to go with them. The Romans are going to investigate, and we must answer their questions. Jason, we are going to find the praetor and help her investigate," Thalia said.

"Of course," Jason said. Thalia turned and left the barracks. Jason followed behind her. "When Reyna asks, there was no one at the infirmary."

Thalia grinned back at her brother, but she forced herself to look ahead. The rest of the walk was in silence, but both her and Jason were looking around for any kind of threat. As they made it back towards the area where Thalia had been attacked, she was surprised to see Reyna kneeling next to her dog, and Frank was standing over her.

Maybe, Thalia was being unfair, but only ten minutes had passed. Why had Reyna given up the search so easily? Frank glanced up at them and gave them a nod. Jason walked towards the two praetors and spoke, "What is the situation?"

"They disappeared without a trace," Reyna answered. She placed a hand to the top of her dog's head and whispered something in Latin. Reyna used her other hand to grip the knife's handle. Then, she pulled the knife out and examined it. "It's not a Greek or Roman design."

"What do you mean without a trace?" Jason interrupted. Reyna glared up at him. "It doesn't matter if they disappeared without a trace. You should be looking at their last known location."

"This is the last known location," Frank interrupted. He placed a hand to Reyna's shoulder. "Argentum is searching around the camp, and we sent a few centurions to do a patrol of the camp. We already have two guards at the hole that was found earlier today. This attacker will not escape."

"If I was in charge," Jason began.

"You're not," Frank interrupted. Jason glared. "Jason, we want to find the attacker as much as you do. Trust that we will find them and take Thalia to either my house or Reyna's house. From there, contact Artemis."

"My place, after we send a message. We have a small building with a fountain in it," Reyna muttered. She cradled her dog in her arms and slowly stood. Reyna turned and started to walk without another word. Thalia followed, and she found that Jason and Frank took up the rear. She was in some kind of protective triangle, and it was almost a little humorous.

Thalia looked at Reyna. The senior praetor was clearly tensed, and Thalia just knew there was a scowl on her face. Reyna clearly wasn't happy that Thalia had been attacked, and she really didn't seem to enjoy the fact that Jason was questioning her.

A glance back showed that Jason was solely focused on her. It seemed like he wanted to be just as protective of Thalia as she was of him. He was slightly out of line for jumping down the throat of the two praetors, but Thalia understood where he was coming from. They needed to be aggressive in their search.

Frank met Thalia's eyes and gave her a comforting nod. Thalia had not talked to Frank much, but she knew that he was a sweet guy, no matter how much he tried to hide it behind some tough exterior. Frank spoke, "We'll figure this out. Is there any Hunter who would want to hurt you? Were they kicked out?"

"This was someone who is currently in the Hunters," Thalia answered. She looked at the ground. "They wouldn't have that aura otherwise. It wasn't anyone in the barracks, and I can't think of who else it might be."

"Lady Diana might know," Frank said. He nodded to himself. They came to a stop, and Thalia glanced up. She watched Reyna open the door to a rather small building and step inside. Thalia followed behind.

There wasn't much to the building. There was two fountains that spat out mist, and there was a table in the middle of the room. Reyna laid her dog on the table and let out a shaky breath. She cursed softly and ran a hand over Aurum's neck. Her hand was shaking slightly. Thalia walked towards her and examined Aurum. The dog was an automaton, so it wasn't like he could die, and did he really feel pain? From Reyna's reaction, she seemed to think so.

"They usually just disappear," Reyna muttered. Thalia examined the wound. The knife had tore through Aurum's throat before stabbing into the bottom of his jaw. It was the mark of a feral hunter, one who wanted their prey to suffer. Thalia placed a hand to Aurum's side.

"He'll be fine," Thalia promised. Reyna nodded and took a deep breath. She stood and grabbed a golden drachmae from her pocket. She handed it towards Thalia. Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia saw that Jason and Frank were standing by the door.

"Here," Reyna muttered. She glanced at her dog and then examined the knife once more. Thalia nodded and turned away. They heard a scratching at the door. After a moment, Frank turned and opened the door slightly. He opened it fully a moment later, and Argentum limped in.

There was an arrow sticking out of Argentum's hind leg. He made a whimpering sound, and Reyna went to move to his side. A bang suddenly filled the room, and Thalia found herself blinded. She stumbled backwards and blinked rapidly. After a few seconds, she was able to see, but dark spots danced in her vision.

There was a loud crash from Thalia's right, and she saw Jason collapse to the ground. There was a small dent in the wall from where his head had collided with it. A figure moved faster than possible and slammed their shoulder in Frank's chest, sending him flying back into the wall. As Frank stumbled forward, he was thrown over the attacker's shoulder and right into Reyna.

As Thalia tried to grab her weapon, she felt someone small hit her neck, like a needle. Thalia realized what it was and swore. Every Hunter of Artemis had a few needles that held a liquid that would send the unfortunate recipient right off to sleep.

Thalia stumbled forward and looked at her attacker. The Hunter of Artemis had a bandage wrapped hastily around her arm, but it didn't seem to affect her. She dodged an attack from Reyna and slipped behind the praetor. The room was too cramped for fighting, but it seemed to favor the Hunter of Artemis, even though she was surrounded.

Even if Thalia was going to fall unconscious, she had to trust that her friends would save her. She still wanted to see who her attacker was. Thalia did a half stumble half tackle at the Hunter of Artemis, and they both fell to the ground. The Hunter scrambled to her feet, and her hood fell from her head. As unconsciousness finally took Thalia, all she could do was stare at the hate filled face of Zoë Nightshade.


	4. Chapter 4

"Thalia was taken," Artemis repeated. She looked around the small room, the message center, that she stood in. Ever since she realized that Zoë's constellation was missing, she knew that something was wrong. Artemis just didn't know what it was, but Thalia's disappearance caused her gut to twist. Was someone targeting her Hunters, dead or alive?

Artemis slowly examined everyone in the room. The senior praetor, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, was sitting against the wall. Her left hand held a towel over her right arm, and the towel was covered in blood. Her right hand was clenched tightly. Reyna's gaze was solely on her fellow praetor.

Frank Zhang did not look good. Two medics were kneeling next to him and trying to remove the arrow that was lodged in his chest. He was lucky that the arrow avoided hitting an artery or his heart, but according to the medics, Frank's luck only spared him by a few centimeters.

Jason Grace sat on the table and stared down at the ground. He seemed to be lost in shock or thought, as he didn't bother to wipe the blood that trickled from his nose. There was a primal look in his eyes, and it was paired with another thing that Artemis could not identify. Fear, anger, grief, or even a combination of the three could have been what the boy was feeling.

"I'm sorry, Lady Diana," Reyna said. The senior praetor laid her head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes showed her troubled thoughts. "We did not realize that someone was pretending to be one of your Hunters, but we will do everything in our power to find Thalia."

"What did the Hunter look like?" Artemis questioned. Her gut twisted. The disappearance of Zoë's constellation and the kidnapping of Thalia was not a coincidence. It was connected, and if this person managed to not only disguise themselves as a Hunter of Artemis but also take out four skilled demigods, Artemis had a very bad feeling about who exactly was behind the attack.

"Dark brown eyes full of hatred. Skin like copper. Tall. Fought with the grace of a dancer," Jason answered. He spoke as if he was reading off of a list, and his gaze stayed focused on the ground. Artemis looked at the boy. "She had me pinned to the wall and told me to deliver a message to you. She is taking Thalia back to where it all began. Her English was weird."

"As if she spoke in an older way?" Artemis asked, and her gut twisted. Jason nodded once. Artemis took a step back and felt like the world was going to disappear out from underneath her. Zoë could not be alive. She had died in Artemis' arms.

Artemis closed her eyes and thought of her vision. Orion and someone else had brought Zoë back. They dropped her in the River Lethe. For what reason? What were they planning on doing? Artemis opened her eyes. If she was going to get Thalia back, she had to go to where it all began: the place where Zoë died.

"Keep my Hunters here. I will be back," Artemis said. She took a single step forward, and she heard someone stand quickly. Artemis turned and looked at Jason. The son of Jupiter raised his chin and looked ready to defy her. The raised chin and the look in his eyes were exactly the same that Thalia had when she was about to get into an argument.

Thalia knew better than to disobey Artemis though. She knew that Artemis' word was law. Jason Grace would speak out of turn, and it would take all of Artemis' self control to not smite him on the spot. A hand grabbed Jason's shoulder.

"Lady Diana, where is Thalia at? We can help," Reyna said. Artemis examined the two demigods in front of her. They would just slow her down.

"You will both stay here," Artemis said. Jason's lip curled, as if he was channeling his mentor. "That is not an option, boy."

"I am going to help rescue my sister," Jason said. He stood straighter and glared at Artemis.

"Shut your mouth, boy. Do not ever speak back to me again," Artemis said. Jason opened his mouth, and Reyna stepped between the two. She pushed Jason backwards slightly, leaving some blood on his shirt. Jason looked down, and for the first time, he seemed to notice the blood.

"Jason, we both want to find Thalia, but we must listen to Lady Diana," Reyna said. She grabbed Jason's shoulder. "Remember when we helped Mercury by doing exactly what he said? We will just have to do that again,"

Jason closed his eyes, but he finally nodded and walked out of the room. Reyna sighed and slowly sat in a chair. One of the medics started to move towards her side, but she waved her hand. The medic went back to Frank.

"You should not punish yourself for a mistake," Artemis stated. She grabbed a few bandages from the medic and moved to Reyna's side. The praetor just studied her silently. Artemis gently wrapped the bandage around Reyna's arm. "Not many people could have taken on Zoë and won."

"Zoë?" Reyna asked. Her eyes glanced up. Artemis studied the demigod. "Zoë Nightshade? Thalia told me about her."

"My former lieutenant," Artemis said. She closed her eyes. "When I was tricked into holding up the weight of the sky by Atlas, Zoë led a quest to rescue me. Shed died as a result of poisoning and an attack from her father. It happened on Mount Othrys, and I believe that is where they are."

"Lady Diana, why would Zoë attack Thalia, if she was your former lieutenant?" Reyna asked. Artemis stopped bandaging the demigod's arm for a long moment. She finally met Reyna's eyes. The praetor had fought the evil that was Orion. She strangled the giant and dedicated the kill to all of the women that died by Orion's hand. She had to understand.

"To hurt me," Artemis replied. She finished the bandage and stood. "Zoë and I were close, so close that her loss feels like I myself died. Orion wanted to hurt me deeper than I have ever hurt him. I saw someone being dipped in the River Lethe, wiping their memory. Orion dragged Zoë out of the Underworld and turned her against me, but he is not alone."

"Who would help him?" Reyna asked. Artemis did not reply. She did not know the answer, but she had plenty of enemies. "If I had just followed the trail even after it went cold, this would not have happened."

"Zoë would have killed you," Artemis said. Reyna didn't respond and just stared at the ground. Artemis grabbed onto the demigod's shoulder. "Do not blame yourself. Just make sure that Jason Grace does not interfere."

"Understood," Reyna said. Artemis stood and closed her eyes. She thought of Mount Othrys, and when she opened her eyes, she was standing on a former battlefield. Artemis slowly looked around the silent, desolate mountain top.

Atlas was off to her side, still struggling under the weight of the sky. His head was bowed, and his eyes were closed. After a moment, he looked up and met Artemis' eyes. The Titan smiled and looked back at the ground.

Atlas: father of Zoë and the reason that she died. Zoë may have been able to survive the poison from Landon, but the injuries that Atlas caused were her demise. Artemis glared at the Titan and debated walking towards him. The taunts would only distract her though. She had to find where Zoë was.

Artemis began her search. She started at the peak of the mountain and made her way all the way down. The former stronghold of the Titans, now laying in ruins, was empty. There was no sign of anyone having been there. Artemis began her search of the entire mountain from top to bottom, with no luck.

For her entire search, Artemis was sure that she would ambushed. Whoever was working with Orion would lay a trap for her, and they were just waiting for her to spring it. When she found nothing, she realized they must have abandoned it.

Artemis tried to think of different places she could go. She tried the Garden of the Hesperides. None of the Hesperides were there, and the hundred headed dragon paid her no attention. Artemis even searched the grove where Zoë first made her vow to Artemis, but she found nothing.

A frustrated Artemis made her way back towards the ruins. It was impossible to tell how much mortal time had passed. Maybe a hour or two? Was she wrong about Zoë? Was this not the place where it began? Was this not the place where Artemis' grief spawned: the place where her heart was torn in two?

Something crunched underneath Artemis' foot, and she looked down. She stared at the arrow underneath her boot. It was rusted, and it had to be a few years old. A small amount of dried blood was next to the arrow. Artemis looked up and saw the battle in front of her.

Zoë had been disarmed and used her bow as a quick attack against her father. Atlas had simply slapped the arrow away, and Zoë barely retrieved her weapon in time. Artemis remembered that moment well, as it was the moment she knew something was wrong. She saw how much slower Zoë had been moving.

Artemis knelt by the dried blood and gently placed a hand to her. She closed her eyes. A laugh interrupted her grief, and she slowly looked up. Atlas, despite holding the weight of the sky, had the gall to laugh. He tried to stand, but his knees shook. He collapsed back to his knees.

"It's not the beginning of that," Atlas sneered. Artemis frowned and walked closer to the Titan. "Do not play coy, Artemis. You know the sin you have committed."

"What sin would that be, Atlas?" Artemis demanded. The Titan studied her, and he kept his smug look. He finally closed his eyes. "Do you intend to toy with me? You are defenseless, and I have no qualms in gutting you."

"Your indoctrination," Atlas replied. Artemis glared at him. "You claim to want to give maidens a chance at life, but all you do is brainwash them. You turn their heartbreak and woes against them and convince them that your way is the best. Then, you go and play warrior with your little girls."

"But, there are times when a maiden does not want to go with you," Atlas said. He grinned. "They play the role of a good servant and listen to their father. They listen to the man in their life. And when you don't get your way, you tend to take it out on the maidens that you claim to protect."

Artemis moved with lightning speed and placed her dagger to Atlas' jugular. The Titan looked up at her and just grinned wider, if that was possible. He spoke, "Zoë was not the first. She was not the last. This is not the beginning he speaks of."

"What beginning does Orion speak of?" Artemis demanded. She knelt by Atlas, so they were face to face. Orion was dead, so she could not get answers from him. Atlas was defenseless though, and he would talk, sooner or later. "Where is Thalia Grace?"

"You know the answer," Atlas replied. He closed his eyes. Artemis tore her knife through his jugular then kicked him hard in the chest. He fell on his back, and the weight of the sky slammed into his chest. A strangled cry of pain escaped the Titan, but Artemis paid no attention. She turned around.

Zoë was not the first what? Hunter? Daughter to die by their father's hand? Hesperides? Artemis had not recruited anymore of them, so what did Atlas mean? Artemis heard a noise behind her, and she quickly turned around, aiming her bow.

"Come out," Artemis ordered. After a few moments, two figure stepped out of the rubble. Artemis lowered her bow and studied the two demigods in front of her. Both were dressed in Roman armor. "I told you two to stay back at Camp Jupiter."

"We came to help, Lady Diana. Thalia is our friend," Reyna said. The praetor met Artemis' eyes and did not look like she regretted the decision. Jason stood by Reyna's side. His head was held high, and it was easy to see the Jupiter in him.

"I am not going to let my sister die," Jason said. His eyes held a determination that Artemis had seen a few times before. "Let us help you, Lady Artemis. Whoever kidnapped Thalia expects you to come alone, and they would have planned for it. They would not have planned for us."

"We found something as well," Reyna said. Artemis studied the two of them. She finally nodded. The two demigods turned away and started to walk towards a small outcropping. Artemis had somehow missed it on her patrol of the area. Artemis followed the two and stopped by a small pool of water.

The pool of water ran red with blood, and a dead deer laid next to it. The deer looked like it had been killed a few hours ago and had bled out into the water. An arrow was lodged into its eye, but the deer itself was stark white. It was one of Artemis' sacred deer. Someone had killed it in one of her sacred groves and brought it here.

The blood from the deer ran towards the small pool, but it also went off in another direction. Artemis followed the small blood trail and stared at the puddle of blood that a helmet rested in. Artemis recognized the helmet instantly. It was of ancient Greek design, but there was four separate plums on it. Each plum represented one of his conquests.

"Are you two ready?" Artemis asked. She gripped the helmet in her hand and studied the two demigods in front of her. Both nodded without a word. Artemis placed a hand to their shoulders. Taking two Romans to the site of a Greek tragedy seemed rather fitting. Artemis closed her eyes and thought of Aulis.

The old port town was the beginning of many things. It marked the place from which the Greeks set sail to raze Troy. It marked the place where a grave crime was committed and had to rectified. Aulis was the place where Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia, after murdering one of Artemis' sacred deer, and it was where Artemis had saved the maiden. Thalia Grace had been taken there, but the port town that marked so many beginnings would also mark an ending. Agamemnon had interfered in Artemis' business for the last time, and she would strike down the Greek legend.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the final chapter of the story, but I want to give a big thanks to everyone who has read this little experiment. I hope you enjoyed it.**

* * *

If Thalia wasn't being held as a prisoner, she would have felt relaxed. She was sitting in the middle of a large grove. When they first arrived, there was a few deer relaxing in the grove, but they were scared away by the armored figure that currently paced in front of Thalia. To her right, Zoë stood guard.

Thalia still couldn't get over her feeling of shock at seeing Zoë alive. Zoë didn't seem to realize who Thalia was, and she hardly sparred her a glance. Thalia looked down. It didn't seem like anyone else was helping the man and Zoë, but the two had managed to kidnap her right out of Camp Jupiter.

"There is where it happened," the man said. Thalia slowly looked up at him. He was sit feet tall and built almost like a Greek god. The man wore ancient Greek armor, and he had this commanding presence to him. "I made a simple mistake, and my life was destroyed."

"Who are you?" Thalia asked. A clubbing blow to the side of her head knocked her right to the ground. She tried to sit up, but the man stepped on her jaw and dug the heel of his foot into her mouth. Thalia let out a cry of pain.

"Did I give you permission to talk?" the man asked. After a few moments, he lifted his foot. Thalia sat up and placed both hands to her mouth. She slowly moved her jaw. It felt like blood was trickling down the side of her face, from where the gauntlet had slammed into it.

A glance over at Zoë showed she wasn't reacting. It was all wrong. Thalia and Zoë weren't exactly friends, but they did bond on their quest together. Thalia still grieved when Zoë died. It was a hero taken unfairly from the world. Now, Zoë acted like she had never seen Thalia before.

"She doesn't know you now," the man whispered in Thalia's ear. He studied Thalia's entire body and then suddenly grabbed her by the throat. He slammed her against the ground and straddled her. "You do know that your lady is a hypocrite, don't you? All of the gods are hypocrites. They tout their beliefs, but when those beliefs are tested, they crumple into dust."

"Artemis grants all of these girls immortality and the strength to almost rival a god. She only asks that you do not fall in love, that you do not lay with another person. Artemis is the biggest hypocrite of the all. If I had my way with you right now, how quickly do you think she would kick you out of the hunt?" the man asked.

Thalia tried to move her arms. Her hands were trapped behind her back with metal handcuffs, and she was able to use any lightning. She felt the man grab her jeans, and she tried to fight him off. His helmeted head slammed into hers. When she came to again, she could feel the man taking off her pants.

"When I am done here, I am going to do the same to Artemis," the man promised. He grabbed Thalia by her throat and dragged her towards the small stone table near the edge of the grove. He threw her on it. Thalia tried to sit up, and an uppercut knocked her back to the table.

Thalia's head bounced off of the table, and small groan escaped her. She heard the man unzip his own pants, but a hand suddenly grabbed onto his arm. Zoë spoke, "This is not what we agreed upon. If the goddess is the one who hurt us, she is the one who should suffer."

"This will cause her to suffer," the man promised. After a long moment, Zoë let go of the man's arm. He looked at Thalia, and a grin came to his face. As he reached his hand towards her, an arrow flew by his ear. He growled and turned around.

"Leave her alone," Artemis ordered. She stepped out of the treeline with a raised bow. The man sneered and took a few step forward. Thalia collapsed off of the stone table, and she saw Zoë move to stand over her. Zoë stared at her for a long moment. Then, she helped Thalia put her pants back on.

"What did they do to you?" Thalia whispered. Zoë looked at her. There was no emotion in her eyes. She didn't look like she recognized Thalia at all. Thalia looked away and took deep breaths. Her heart raced from the pain in her head and at how close the man had been to violating her in this sacred grove

"Agamemnon, stand down," Artemis ordered. Thalia slowly looked at the Greek legend in front of her. Agamemnon simply grabbed his sword and studied the goddess. Artemis looked past Agamemnon, and her gaze focused on Zoë. The bow in her hand started to lower. "Zoë."

"Artemis," Zoë stated. Artemis's hand shook, and it seemed like tears were about to come to her eyes. "Agamemnon told me what you did."

"Agamemnon threw you into the River Lethe, and he took your memories. Whatever he says to you is a lie," Artemis said. Her voice shook with grief, and Thalia heard the distance sounds of animals crying. "I will not hurt you, Zoë."

"You took her from her home," Agamemnon interrupted. "You stole her from her family, just like you stole my daughter from me! It was in this grove that I accidentally killed one of your deer, but I know that it was no accident. You took control of my arrow and made it go right into the eye of your sacred deer. Then, you said that they only way to set things right was to sacrifice my daughter! She was the love of my life!"

"If you truly loved your daughter, you would not have agreed to sacrifice her," Artemis stated. "You know nothing of love."

"You do?" Agamemnon demanded. He took a deep breath and turned towards Zoë. "Take her out and avenge your parents."

Zoë nodded and moved with lightning speed. She attacked Artemis. The goddess dodged the attack, but Zoë continued her attack with a ferocity that not many demigods could match. Thalia looked away. She knew that Artemis would not be able to hurt Zoë and would take extra care to avoid injuring her. That would leave an opening for Agamemnon.

Thalia tried to make it to her knees. Her world spun, and she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Agamemnon threw her back onto the stone table. Lightning slammed into his chest a moment later. Agamemnon took a small step back, but otherwise, he seemed unaffected. Agamemnon turned his head.

Thalia looked to the side and saw two armored figure stepped out of the treeline. She recognized Jason instantly, as he called more lightning from the sky and threw it towards Agamemnon. It hit Agamemnon once again, and he stumbled back a few more feet. Jason rushed forward to attack him. Thalia tried to sit up.

"Don't move," a voice ordered. Thalia turned and looked at the praetor next to her. Reyna nodded to her and cut through the handcuffs in one swift motion. Thalia rubbed her wrist and was handed ambrosia. Reyna looked up and cursed. She rushed to Jason's side.

Thalia looked at the two battles happening in front of her. Artemis and Zoë were in a dead lock, as they both seemed to know each other so well. Jason had been holding his own against Agamemnon, but with Reyna's help, they were slowly pushing Agamemnon back.

It took a moment for Thalia to eat the ambrosia and tried to stand. Her head stung, and she felt like the world was starting to spin. A cry caught Thalia's attention, and she looked up. To her surprise, she could see Artemis on her knees, and the blood of the gods flowed from her throat.

Zoë turned and fired off an arrow. Thalia could only watch as it flew with lightning speed and tore into Jason's back. Jason cried out in shock and stiffened. Reyna shoved him to the side and used her shield to block an attack that would have decapitated Jason.

Zoë was already firing another arrow, but Thalia was faster. She fired off her own arrow that intercepted Zoë's. Reyna glanced back at her, and Thalia spoke, "Focus on Agamemnon. I have Zoë."

Despite her pain, Thalia made it to her feet and slowly made it towards Zoë. The former lieutenant studied her with cold eyes. Her bow disappeared, and she grabbed her sword once again. Thalia slowly moved to the side, and Zoë did as well.

Thalia's eyes shot around. Artemis was staring down at the ichor on her hands. Jason was starting to get to his feet, but he was clearly shaking. The arrow looked like it had been lodged into his shoulder blade. Reyna was on the defensive against Agamemnon.

Thalia was so focused on the others that she barely saw Zoë attack her. She dodged the attack and swung her own sword. Zoë caught it on her blade, and they had a small test of strength. Thalia knew it was going to be a stalemate, as the blessing from Artemis gave them the same amount of strength.

Zoë pulled away and attacked with lightning speed. Thalia dodged the attacks, and she tried to go on offensive. Zoë blocked everything she did. Thalia knew she needed to end the fight quickly, so she swung wildly at Zoë's head.

Zoë ducked underneath, and Thalia used the opportunity to bash her knee directly into Zoë's jaw. In the middle of her attack, Zoë caught Thalia and threw her over her shoulder. Thalia slammed face first into the tree in front of her, and she collapsed to the ground. Her opponent collapsed near her.

After placing two hands to her face, Thalia looked at Zoë. Everything was definitely spinning now, but Zoë looked stunned as well. She had definitely been rocked by the knee. Thalia felt someone pull her to her feet.

"Help them," Artemis ordered. Thalia looked at Artemis and nodded slightly. She stumbled backwards and barely kept herself from collapsing. Thalia turned towards the other fight, and a curse left her.

The fight against Agamemnon wasn't going well. Blood was trickling from the wound in Jason's back, and his fighting was clearly hindered by it. Agamemnon kicked Reyna backwards and dodged an attack from Jason. As Jason hit the stone table, Agamemnon stabbed his hand into it.

Agamemnon grabbed Jason's shield and threw it at Reyna with godly speed. It slammed into Reyna's throat, and she collapsed to her knees, trying to breath. Thalia stumbled towards the fight. Agamemnon grabbed Reyna by her throat and slammed her against a tree.

Thalia grabbed her bow and notched the arrow. She fired it at Agamemnon, and he caught the arrow at the last second. His hand tightened around Reyna's throat, and she gasped for breath. Thalia notched another arrow, and Agamemnon looked at her.

A sword suddenly cut through Agamemnon's arm. He stared down at the stump where his arm used to be. Jason tried to stab Agamemnon in the chest. Agamemnon stepped away and stumbled. He swung his sword wildly.

Jason disarmed Agamemnon, and Thalia stabbed him in the back. Jason stabbed Agamemnon in his chest. Thalia met Jason's eyes and nodded towards him. They both summoned lightning and ran it through their swords. Agamemnon's screams filled the clearing, and they both tore their sword through his body. The Greek legend collapsed a moment later.

Thalia took deep breaths and slowly looked around. Reyna was sitting against the tree and coughing miserably. It seemed like she was having issues breathing. Jason stumbled, and Thalia quickly caught him

"I'm fine," Jason muttered. He tried to pull away, and Thalia helped him sit on the stone table. She gave him a look and then slowly turned towards the other battle. Artemis and Zoë were in a stalemate. Artemis dodged an attack from Zoë. She could have stabbed Zoë in the chest, but the goddess hesitated. Zoë stabbed her in the stomach.

"Help Reyna," Thalia ordered. She moved towards the other battle. As Zoë brought her sword back to stab Artemis in the chest, Thalia tackled her. She flipped out her hunting knife and went to stab it into Zoë's neck. Zoë caught the blade in her hands.

Thalia felt two hands wrap around her waist and pull her away. Thalia pried herself away from the grip and stared at Artemis. The goddess shook her head, and there was tears in her eyes.

"I can't," Artemis whispered. Thalia wanted to yell in frustration. She knew how close Zoë and Artemis were, but the Zoë that Artemis knew was not there anymore. Her memory was gone. "I cannot hurt her."

"We don't have a choice," Thalia argued. She felt white hot pain in her shoulder a moment later. Thalia stumbled and almost fell to the ground. A knee slammed into her head a moment later, and she collapsed.

Thalia's world darkened, and when she came to, there was a sword right above her nose. Zoë stared down at her. Then, she raised the sword. A blade appeared out of Zoë's chest a moment later. Zoë gasped and dropped her sword. She collapsed a moment later, and Artemis caught her.

"I'm sorry," Artemis whispered. Tears poured freely from her face. Zoë stared up at Artemis. Her eyes moved to the sword that was buried in her chest, and she slowly looked back at the goddess.

"My lady?" Zoë slowly asked. There was recognition in her eyes. She slowly looked around. "What did I do?"

"It wasn't you," Artemis promised. She closed her eyes tightly. "I can heal you, Zoë. I don't have to lose you again."

"I do not remember anything," Zoë whispered. She coughed up blood a moment later. Artemis wiped the blood from Zoë's mouth and kissed her forehead. "My father? What happened?"

"It does not matter, Zoë. You did what you had to," Artemis whispered. She slowly grabbed Thalia's hunting knife from the ground.

"There was a river," Zoë began. Her eyes focused on Thalia. There was a confused and scared look in her eyes. "Lethe?"

"You were not dipped long enough to erase all of your memories, not when you are this close to yourself. Not when you are this close to death," Artemis whispered. "I failed you, Zoë. I am sorry."

"You did not," Zoë whispered. She whispered something that Thalia could not hear, and she coughed out more blood. A wheeze left her, and she seemed to choke on blood. Artemis closed her eyes and gently placed the hunting knife to Zoë's throat. Then, she brought it across. Zoë, once again, let out her final breath.

"I will return you to the stars," Artemis promised. She placed her forehead against Zoe's and stared to cry miserably. Thalia slowly stood and placed a hand to Artemis' shoulder. She squeezed it tightly to let the goddess know she was there. Then, she turned and walked back towards the other two demigods.

Jason was sitting on the ground and staring down at it. Reyna was removing the arrow from his back, but she turned away to cough miserably. Thalia knelt by them and helped remove the arrow from Jason's back. Reyna placed a bandage to the wound.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked. He slowly looked back at Thalia. It took a moment for Thalia to nod. Physically, she was hurt, but she would live. Mentally and emotionally, she was exhausted. Jason's eyes moved towards the goddess, but he quickly looked away.

Thalia kept her hand against Jason's back and looked at Reyna. The praetor had her hand against her throat and seemed to still be trying to catch her breath. Thalia placed a hand to Reyna's shoulder. Reyna glanced at her and gave her a small nod

Thalia turned to look at Artemis. The goddess was still crying over Zoë's body, and it broke Thalia's heart. She knew Zoë meant so much to, more than words could describe. Losing Zoë once was hard enough, but to be tempted with a second chance only to lose it was indescribable.

It took a moment for Thalia to stand. She slowly walked towards Artemis and knelt by her. Artemis spoke, "I can save her, somehow. I won't lose her again."

"She's gone," Thalia whispered. Artemis slowly looked at her. "I know that you love her, but you have to let her go. It's the worst feeling in the world, but if you don't let go, it will weight you down. Your grief will drive you down to the depths worse than Tartarus. Zoë wouldn't want this for you."

"Zoë did not deserve this. She did not deserve to be pulled from her peace and brought back to this cruel world," Artemis whispered. She closed her eyes. "They did this to hurt me, and they succeeded. What kind of monster does something this evil?"

Thalia didn't have an answer to that. Instead, she just gently placed a hand to Artemis' shoulder. The goddess rested her head against Zoë and seemed to whisper to herself. Thalia finally spoke, "We'll leave you alone to grieve."

"Thank you, Thalia," Artemis whispered softly. Then, she closed her eyes, and her shoulder shook from crying. Thalia looked down and slowly stood. She walked towards Jason and Reyna. The two of them seemed to be having a quiet conversation. There was a grin on Jason's face, and Reyna had the smallest hint of a smile.

"I know it's not a Roman legend, but it still counts for the bucket list," Jason said. Reyna shook her head, but a smile came to her face. Thalia gave both of them a confused look. "When we were centurions, we made a list of things that we wanted to do, and beating a Roman legend was one of them."

"We've accomplished a few off of the list. Destroy a legend, Help an immortal. Become praetors," Reyna muttered, and her gaze focused on Jason. There was unspoken words between the two, and Reyna looked away. She closed her eyes tightly. "We should leave Lady Diana to grieve."

Thalia nodded in agreement and stood. With Reyna's help, she managed to pull Jason to his feet. Jason leaned heavily on Thalia, and they started to leave the grove. Thalia sparred one more glance back, and her heart broke to watch Artemis grieve.

The goddess had not grieved this badly the first time, but that was because she did not understand loss. Many immortals did not understand loss. Goddesses like Aphrodite and Athena understood loss, which was why they had so many children. Aphrodite was a goddess of love, which meant she was more in touch with her feelings that the other immortals. Athena knew how to work through those emotions, compartmentalizing and working through them.

Most immortals had children, but they all knew that they would lose their children one day. They had millennia to experience that. Artemis had no children, and she only grew close to her Hunters. Of course, there was Hunters who had died, but there was a different connection there.

Having a Hunter die was not the same as having a child die. A child held a piece of their immortal parent in them, and that loss hit hard. Hunters held a vow to Artemis, but there was no further connection, unless that Hunter was around long enough for Artemis to notice.

Zoë was there by Artemis' side for longer than Thalia could imagine. Thalia would even wager that Artemis forgot Zoë could die, so she allowed herself to get close to Zoë. Now, they were seeing the aftermath. Artemis had lost her greatest friend, someone who had been with her forever, twice now. No words could describe how the goddess had to feel.

Thalia knew there was only one thing she could do, and that was be there for Artemis. The goddess would need time to grieve, but she didn't have to do it alone. Thalia would be there, no matter who it was for. It didn't matter if it was for the goddess she swore loyalty to, the friend that was dealing with her own complicated relationships, or the brother that she had not seen since she was a child. Thalia would be there for all of them. That was something she could swear on the stars themselves.


End file.
